Posted 6 Days Ago

Cameroon imposes curfew in English-speaking region

Cameroon President Paul Biya at the United Nations in New York on September 22, 2017. Cameroon imposed a curfew in its English-speaking region over threats of attack by secessionists. PHOTO | TIMOTHY A. CLARY | AFP

By NDI EUGENE NDI

In Summary

The turmoil in the two English-speaking regions has been on since October 2016 when a lawyers' and teachers' strike snowballed into a general outcry against marginalisation.

There have been calls for the secession of the minority anglophones.

Scores of people have been killed in clashes between government troops and protesters, and an estimated 30,000 others have fled to Nigeria.

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YAOUNDÉ

Authorities have imposed a week-long night curfew in the tense English-speaking Northwest Cameroon, citing an “imminent attack” by secessionists “with support of mercenaries” from the Niger Delta in nearby Nigeria.

A leaked internal memo from Defence minister Joseph Beti Assomo to the regional governors of Northwest and Southwest regions, ordered that the curfew between 8pm and 6am should take effect from Saturday.

CURFEW

Northwest regional Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique said in an application order that movement of people and property has been restricted for “one week renewable”.

He said all businesses and public places would remain closed while night travel buses were expected to leave town before 8pm.

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The restriction, however, does not apply to “administrative authorities, forces of law and order, persons and vehicles in possession of special authorisations to circulate and ambulances,” the governor’s order said, threatening to prosecute anyone who violates it.

The turmoil in the two English-speaking regions has been on since October 2016 when a lawyers' and teachers' strike snowballed into a general outcry against marginalisation by the predominantly francophone government and calls for the secession of the minority anglophones.

Scores of people have been killed in clashes between government troops and protesters, and an estimated 30,000 others have fled to Nigeria.